Friday, May 29, 2009

Due to a combination of events (trying to get the plant starts into the ground, the arrival of one nap per day and Sew Mama Sew's giveaway day, I totally forgot that today was Friday.
I don't know who this is, although I know she's related to my husband somehow. I don't even know when this photo was taken, although I'd guess around 1880, just from her dress. I really like her hair though, and the detail on her bodice, so it's one of my favorite photos.
For more vintage photos, vist Paper Dolls for Boys
If you are looking for my giveaway, it's right here!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

My offering is a silk shantung and velvet wrap (I don't know the measurements and I really want to get this up, so I'm not going to take the time to measure it) with vintage glass nail head beads along three sides. All materials for this project were leftovers from previous projects, I love being able to do that. Especially when the result is so pretty. This is probably one of my top ten favorite things I made for my shop (now defunct), and the other 9 things on that list all got sold. I'm not sure why this one didn't. I am including a little buckwheat neck pillow made from the same silk as the wrap.

To enter, please comment and tell me something silly about yourself. For instance, when our Kindergarten teacher showed us how to write our names, I came home convinced that my name was spelled Sahnnon, and when my sister pointed out my mistake, I thought it was funny to insist that I was right. After all, it was MY name and I could spell it however I want. You have until May 31st to enter, and I will chose a random winner on June 1st. I will ship internationally.

Visit Sew Mama Sew to see the list of everyone's giveaways! The turnout was impressive for the first one, I can't wait to see what everyone is doing this time.

Earlier this week, I started campaigning for Walker to take a day or two off work soon so we can have some time to just relax and possibly do a small outing with the baby without feeling rushed. I kind of forgot that Memorial Day means there is an extra weekend day, and now some of the pressure I was feeling is relieved. We had a busy weekend (for us) but I still feel like there was a lot of relaxation time.
On Saturday we got together with friends and watched their 10 month old while they saw Star Trek, then they watched Moira while we did the same. Their poor daughter was scared of Walker, so the day didn't start off too great for her, but after a nice walk through the woods (twice) she felt comfortable enough to have fun and play outside. It wasn't quite warm enough to strip them to play with the water table, so there were a number of outfit changes throughout the day.
I really enjoyed Star Trek. I think it had a lot of the joy the earlier shows and movies had that the most recent ones have been missing. Plus, I was happy to see that the girl playing Uhura had darkish skin, since when I saw the posters originally I wasn't sure who the girl was supposed to be due to the obnoxious whitebrushing (I can't find it anymore, but she looked about as dark as T'Pol from Enterprise.
On Sunday we split up the day, Walker watched Moira while she was awake, so I could sew and go to the fabric store) and I took care of naps so he could play Bioshock. I am 2/3rds of the way through quilting our new king sized quilt. I'm stitching in the ditch for now, so I can bind it and we can start using it as soon as possible, then as time permits, I'll go back and do fancier quilting in the individual squares.
Monday was yard work day, Walker spent the morning mowing the front yard, and then after morning nap, we went to finish preparing the vegetable beds. I started out with Moira on my back, but she got bored, so I put her in the grass on one of the unprepared beds and she freaked out because, grass is scary! So then I let her run around the patio for awhile, but she started climbing up the stairs by the beds, and when she rolled partway down and freaked out, we decided to go inside for awhile. Walker finished turning the bed, and when he was done, I went out and replanted the potato plants we had found while turning the dirt and the broccoli Moira got at Farm Tots.
It was near nap time, but we decided to go out to Molly Moon's for ice cream, and then we swung by the Zoo to see the new Penguin exhibit. Then we were all thoroughly exhausted and headed home. Moira has started sleeping in the car again, which is awesome, since her car seat is turned around so when it's just the two of us, I can now prop open the kitchen door and keep an eye on her rather then having to sit in the car.
Moira now has 5 teeth, and another one on the way. She's also learned to kiss, which is adorable. She's also suddenly decided to wave for reals this time. She waved at Daddy when he left for work this morning (first at the closed garage door, and then at the street after his car was no longer visible). She also waved at a number of people as we were leaving the park, and at least three people at the grocery store. She also started sticking out her tongue and playing with that after her friend left on Saturday. Evelyn is very into talking and playing with her tongue, and I guess Moira thought that looked like fun. It's better then the teeth grinding she was trying out for a little bit.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

65. Calla Lily
Already knew: Calla Lillies have big tubular blooms with a fat white stamen on a long slender stalk. They are very popular for making tall architectural floral arrangements because of this. It's also popular with brides because it's all white and clean and stuff. The leaves grow from the base of the stems and are shiny, green, wide and a little bit ruffly.
Recently learned: This actually comes in a lot of colors, but the variety that is popular here is white. It's native to Southern Africa, all the way north to Malawi. It is not a true Lily or a true Calla. All parts of this plant are toxic, capable of killing children and small livestock. This variety of Calla Lily (Zantedeschia Aethiopica) is extremely hardy and has become a weed in many parts of the world. It especially like marshy places.

66. Maple
Already knew: The Maple leaf is national symbol of Canada. It's leaves have three points, and turn beautiful colors in the fall. It flowers in early spring, and the flowers grow in long yellow catkins. The seeds look like little gliders, with a big wing attached to each seed (they grow in clusters of two usually). The tree itself grows really tall (like over 20 feet). It's also really happy here, to the point where it is an invasive species. I cannot count the number of Maple saplings I've pulled out of the garden over the last few weeks. Fortunately they are easy to pull out when they are under 10" tall, since the root grows straight down at first to try and get well established before you notice it.
Recently learned: The seeds are called Keys. Some people eat the seeds by first boiling them in water to get rid of the bitter taste, dumping the water and boiling them again. Maple is good at carrying tonal waves, which is why it is a popular wood to make instruments out of. It think this variety is the Bigleaf (also known as the Oregon) Maple, but I'm not sure.

67. Hosta
Already knew: I don't actually know much about Hostas, other then that they look like this. Well, they look like this with variations, different colored leaves and flowers. I think this one is non flowering, but I could be wrong and the big dead stem sticking out of it (not seen in this picture) could be an old flower. I have no idea what the flowers would look like.
Recently learned: These used to be classified as lilies. The flowers grow on a long stalk with a big cluste of lily like flowers at the tip and are scentless. They love to be planted in shade and are a favorite food of deer, slugs and snails. Hostas originated in Japan.

68. Buttercups
Already knew: Buttercups are a member of the Ranunculus family and are usually found growing in fields. They are poisonous to deer and other ruminant animals. You can hold a Buttercup up under your chin and if your chin looks yellow, you like butter. Or it could be that the yellow petals are shiny and reflect light onto your chin from the sun.
Recently learned: I think this is Creeping Buttercup, since it is low to the ground and the plant was more viney then stand upy. This likes to grow in wet ground, and it likes fields and pastures. When dried with hay it is no longer toxic to cows, but it still tastes bad to them.

69. Fennel
Already knew: I found this hiding in a bunch of weeds by a fence, hence the bad picture, and thought it was Dill. Alas, no. Fennel is an edible plant that tastes like Anise. People use the seeds and leaves as an herb and the root as a vegetable. The leaves are feathery and dark green, and the bulb is white and somewhat resembles an onion. It is one of the ingredients in the Throat Coat tea I drink when sick, and I always hate that, but it works.
Recently learned: The flowers are yellow and grow in spiky clusters. It is what gives Absinthe it's flavor. Then Fennel that used used as a vegetable is called Florence Fennel, most varieties do not have swollen roots, so cannot be used like that. Fennel has a lot of medicinal uses including easing digestive discomfort and reducing soreness of eyes.

70. Pink Flowering Dogwood
Already knew: This Dogwood is a small tree that blooms in the late spring. As is obvious by the name, it has pink flowers. The flowers have four petals and each have a notch at the tip. It is normally a small deciduous tree, although this one is overgrown, and before we had it pruned last winter, the branches were touching the ground, which is why the lower branches on this one are bare right now. They are probably shocked to have sunlight again.
Recently learned: The actual common species name is Flowering Dogwood, and it is native to the US. The big showy petals that I identified earlier are actually bracts and surround a cluster of smaller greenish yellow flowers that each have four petals. The wild version is always white. They do best in moist, acidic soil, with good morning sun and afternoon shade.

71. Red Flowering Chestnut
Already knew: This is a deciduous tree that drops nuts in the late summer/early fall. The nuts are round, glossy brown and protected by a prickly shell, and are a traditional snack in England in the winter. You have to roast chestnuts before they are tasty, and they are best eat warm, I guess. I've never actually had one. The flowers grown in big tall clusters in later spring. Squirrels love them and will pick drop the spiky casings all over the place, making it hard to walk without shoes during that time.
Recently learned: The flowers are really cool, the look kind of like Snapdragons. I'll have to ask my neighbors if I can go into their yard to get a closer picture. American Chestnuts were almost completely wiped out by a fungal blight. This is a cultivar of the Horse Chestnut, closely related to the Buckeye, which blooms later in the summer. These are not edible chestnuts, alas, but Native Americans used to pulverizing the nuts and leaching the toxin out by repeatedly boiling them, which makes a starchy porridge. Deer and Squirrels are immune to the toxin and can eat the nuts directly.

72. Lacecap Hydrangea
Already knew: These Hydrangeas bloom earlier in the year then the Mopheads. They are also lower to the ground I do not think they are affected by the acidity of the soil the way Mopheads are.
Recently learned: I'm wrong, but that's just certain varieties. Some are just white. The latin name for this is Hydrangea Macrophylla Normalis. Most of what I'm finding about these is whining about how they are underused (which is true), and beautiful (which is true).

73. Evergreen Dogwood
Already knew: This is a kind of Dogwood that does not loose it's leaves in the winter. You can identify this by the fact that it has flowers and leaves at the same time. Also, it has six Bracts instead of four.
Recently learned: This is actually called the Pacific Dogwood, and is native to this area. It is the emblem of British Columbia, and is protected by law there from being dug up or cut down. It likes well drained soil. The wood is used to make piano keys, but I'm not sure how if you can't cut it down. The fruit is oval and dark red. It is not available commercially so you have to grow it from cuttings.

74. Salmonberry
Already knew: When things are food, I try to wait until the edible part is actually recognizable, but I've never seen a Salmonberry in bloom before, and the flower was so pretty that I had to take a picture. Salmonberries grow on a viney shrub in the woods. The flowers a magenta and have four pointy petals. The berries are frequently salmon colored (hence the name) but range from yellow to red, and look like raspberries, and are tasty. The fruit is ripe in early summer.
Recently learned: Salmonberries thrive in coastal areas, and along stream beds. They were used to make pemmican by local tribes. In Kodiak, Alsaka, Salmonberries are called Russian berries. They are frequently confused with Cloudberries, which look the same, but grow close to the ground. The golden yellow ones are tastier then the red ones, which can be kind of bland. They have more vitamin C then other berries, which is what makes them slightly tart and dry.

Friday, May 22, 2009

These are the little guys I made for Craft Hope's current project, making dolls for the Casa Beranbe orphanage in Nicaragua. I decided to make boy dolls 1)because I figured that fewer people would be making those and 2)I have a girl, so I will have plenty of opportunities to make girl dolls. In fact, I enjoyed making these so much, despite the problems I had with construction, that I foresee making a lot of these for presents.
I looked at a lot of patterns before I started, especially the Black Apple doll and this rag doll pattern, but then, because I hate following patterns, I winged it. I think I'll look at more patterns before I try this again, but the second doll definitely went together better then the first.

These aren't the best quality scans. My sister did them in the late 90's, back when scanner technology was pretty new. It's on my list of long term projects to sit down with her an the photo albums and my fancy new scanner an redo everything.
I've always loved this photo of my mother's parents. This was taken on their wedding day. Grandpa was in the Canadian Air Force (I think it was the Air Force) in World War 2. His brother was also in the Air Force. His plane crashed on the US side of the border, and they refused to extradite his body for some reason, so he's buried in a tiny town in Maine. I tried to find it when I was there back in 2000, but for a small town, it sure had a lot of graveyard.
My grandparent's and their children. My mom is the one in pink. I love how goofy everyone looks in this picture, even my normally distinguished grandfather. I feel like I should submit this to Awkward Family Photos

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I got my mini from the Mini quilt in a bag swap made by sames5. It's so cute, and as you can see, Moira stole it right away, which is a good sign in a quilt. The quilt I made is about twice as big, so I guess I do need to keep working on this whole "mini" idea. She also sent a pretty little charm pack. I have never actually owned a charm pack, and I was looking forward to opening it up, but Moira did that for me too.

I also got a package from Singapore with fabric, trims, postcards and a little sauce package we will have to try out ASAP. It's from the big international destash that happened around Christmas, or the beginning of the year, but I can't remember the website that organized it. I won one of Annayama's giveaways, and it just took a long time to get in the mail, plus, you know, it came from Singapore, so it was going to take awhile. I love the chicken fabric. I think I need to make something for Moira out of it. Perhaps overalls.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Yesterday Moira and I went for a walk with pearl. On the way to the park, pearl asked if she had any new words, and I said no. Then, on the way home, Moira dropped the book she was reading and said "Uh oh!" I was quiet while pearl handed her another book, which she immediately dropped so she could say "uh oh!" again. She hasn't said it since, probably because I started encouraging her.
I'm not sure what's up with her with the speaking. It seems like she tries out a new form of communication, and if I try to reinforce it, she stops. Like, she's glad I've figured out how to say banana, and now she doesn't have to. The things she says most often are the things we've mostly ignored. But those are also more likely to be used randomly. I suppose she's just figuring it out for herself, and she'll do things at her own pace, and I should just calm down.
As you can see from the picture, she's started hanging over the sides of the couches. It's a lot of fun, and has the bonus of making Daddy nervous. Score.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

It's that time again, and this week I'm going to share from what is probably my favorite set of pictures ever.

These are all pictures of Alice Matlack (my husband's grandmother, AP Holly's youngest daughter) in July 1944, at the family turkey ranch in Ramona, California.

These were taken by a traveling photographer to send to her husband (the gentleman in the photo on her table) who had just been drafted into the Army for World War 2. The originals are actually stereoscopic slides, which are falling apart, so we couldn't look at most of them in the viewer.

What makes these so interesting is that she never thought she was pretty. Her sister Helen was the 'pretty' one, and Elizabeth was the 'beautiful' one. But she was very committed to being a good wife, and so she got dolled up and posed for these photos. I'm so glad the family has these pictures, because she was a beautiful person inside and out. She was one of those people who is bad at posing for photos, so she frequently has her eyes closed, or a funny look on her face in the more recent photos.

This one is much more her speed. I think she was a bit of a tomboy as a young girl,and she never outgrew her love of hiking and horses and all things western.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I've been working on finally assembling the blocks from last year's LJ birthday block swap into a quilt for our California King sized bed. I also used most of the blocks I got in another swap in 2005/2006, because, well, it needs to be huge. We've been using the quilt my friends and I made for my husband's birthday years ago, but that is only queen sized, and so we are constantly fighting for blanket, a situation that is worse now that we have a baby helping us use up blanket at night. I keep looking at it and thinking how huge this quilt is, and then I put it on the bed, and look! It barely covers it! Time for more sashing! I have some 4"x5" rectangles I'm going to put around the edges, one row on the top and 2 on the other three sides, and I think that will be enough, but we'll see. Then I have to figure out how I'm going to quilt the dang thing.

I finished this actually on Mother's Day, and it's washed and waiting for Walker to have time to take it to the Post Office (He's on call this week, but as the nearest PO is right across the street from his office, it's still faster for him to take it to work and not be able to mail it for a few days then for me to try and do it). I'm pleased with how it turned out, but filled with doubt about whether or not it's mini enough for the Mini Quilt in a Bag swap because I always think whatever I do isn't good enough, which is why I tend to give things I make away, rather then keep them around and stare at the obvious glaring imperfections that no one else ever sees. Did I ever tell you about the time I argued with my sewing teacher about the A+ she gave me because there was a little scoop in the hem of my otherwise perfectly assembled jacket? No? Good.

On that same vein, I'm going to participate in the May Giveaway Day organized by Sew Mama Sew, because well, I have a lot of things that I made for my now defunct Etsy store that I gave up on trying to sell. I think I am going to give away my absolute favorite thing from that, but I will wait for May 27th to give more details.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

54. Oxalis
Already knew: Oxalis is frequently sold as Shamrock for St Patricks Day in this country. I certainly thought it was what Shamrocks really looked like. It is a beautiful ground cover though, with big fat incredibly green leaf clusters and tiny white flowers. It shows up in early March. It is related to the Field Daisy.
Recently learned: It is also called Wood Sorrel. Many plants in the Oxalis family cantain Oxalic acid (hence the name) which in small amounts aids digestion and kidney function and can be toxic in large amounts.

60. Common Bluebells
Already knew: Shortly after I wrote up about Hyacinths I was complaining to pearl about all the Hyacinths that were popping up in my garden. It's great that they are happy and doing so well, despite being ignored, but it's a little ridiculous. "Oh no!" says she, "I'm allergic to Hyacinths!" I start worrying about her not being able to visit me, there is some furious link sending from Wikipedia, and I discover that what I have is in fact, Bluebells, which I always thought were just wild Hyacinths, but are in fact Hyacinthoides. Pearl is not allergic to them, and I like them slightly better for that. Bluebells are a bulb that self propagates really well in this area, and will take over if you aren't careful. They grown in a cluster of long skinny leaves and then there is a cluster of bell shaped flowers at the end of the stem. They actually come in white, blue and lavender, although the white and lavender don't seem to be quite as happy as the blue ones are. The Common Bluebell is native to the British Isles. I thought I had misidentified a picture of Bluebells as the Hyacinth earlier, but I looked at it just now, and it was in fact, the right plant (Oriental Hyacinth to be precise.
Recently learned: It goes by a variety of different names; Auld Man's Bell, Bluebell, Calverkeys, Culverkeys, English Bluebell, Jacinth, Ring-o'-Bells, Wilde Hyacint, and Wood Bells. They spread with seeds, which take 2 years to grow when planted. The seed have a long period of viability, so they can come back even if there has been a couple of years of bad weather. It's also why they take over so easily. An estimated 70% of all common bluebells grow in England.

61. Lilac
Already knew: Lilac is a shrub with green spade shaped leaves and large clusters of tiny purple or white, four petaled flowers. They are extremely fragrant, and flower from the end of April through June. They spread through runners, and if you want to transplant one, it's best to do it in late winter/early spring before the flowers start to appear.
Recently learned: This is Common Lilac (Syringa Vulgaris, how much do I love that Vulgaris is Latin for Common? SO MUCH!). Lilacs were introduced to Europe by the Ottomans in the 16th century, but it actually originated in the Balkans. Lilacs have a tendancy to flower only every other year, but if you deadhead them before the seeds show up, you up your chances of it flowering every year. It is the state flower of New Hampshire.

62. Icelandic Poppies
Already knew: These are bright yellow, and have a reasonably long flowering period, but each flower only lasts for a short time. The flowers are slightly bigger then that of the California Poppy, and I'm guessing, originated in a colder climate. They begin flowering in late April. The petals are papery and the stems are furry.
Recently learned: According to Wikipedia, all parts of this plant are poisonous, which I assume means that it contains Opiates. Yay! The wild blooming version of this, which I assume is what I have, only comes in white and yellow, but there are cultivars in many different colors. Poppies have long taproots and do not like to be moved. They like full sun and well drained soil. The white color is dominant.

63. Money Plant
Already knew: Until this year, I had only noticed this plant in it's skeleton form (picture below). It grows it's seeds in thin, round pods that dry out on the plant and open in fall to spread the seeds. Apparently when it is in bloom it has big triangular leaves, white or purple (there are both in my garden) flowers, and a hairy stem. The seed pods grow separately from the flowers and are just now beginning to form (beginning of May). We use to use the seed

pods as fake money when I was a child, and I never thought they really looked that much like coins, but then the other day I was outside hanging up the laundry and I looked down and thought, "Oh! Someone dropped a quarter!"
Recently learned: It's common name is Annual Honesty, but it is a biennial plant. It grows in North America, Europe and parts of Asia.

64. Japanese Maple
Already knew: This is a small deciduous tree, with a wide canopy. The leaves have five points and are an orangey brown color in spring. They turn a darker burgundy color before they drop off in the fall. This one is huge for it's kind, this was taken before it was pruned last winter. You cannot see the Rhododendron on the other side of it because it's so huge.
Recently learned: Japanese Maples grown in temperate areas around the world. Different varieties have a wide selection of leaf colors. It is a good plant to grow under larger trees. It is typically spread through cuttings or budding, and many varieties that did not become popular in the western world have become extinct.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Moira's birthday was a success. She ate the frosting off the cupcake and rejected the cake (I made them with the whole wheat pastry flour because I wasn't sure I had enough regular flour, so they were a little dense. But the adults seemed happy with the whole wheatiness. And the teens, come to think of it, so it was all good.) She also had a lot of fun with my Mom's cane. It might have even been more fun then the presents. She even got to show off her tumbling skills to our friend Robin, who teaches children's Gymnastics.
I'm ashamed to admit that my favorite of the toys are the plastic things with lights and motors. I would never buy them on my own, but boy do babies love them.

We tried to get a picture of me and Moira on Mother's Day/my birthday, but Walker isn't so used to the camera, so they all came out blurry. My mother in law got me a new scanner, so I spent a bunch of yesterday and today scanning in slides from the 40's and 50's. I just started on the stereoscopic slides, so I'll have some extra fun things to share on Friday. I am curious why they had the technology to do full lifelike color on slides in the 40's but not on photos. Sika says it's likely the paper to print color photos on that was the problem.
I also got some sewing done. I'm using blocks from a couple of block swaps from 2007/2008 to make a new quilt for our bed. The one we have now is queen sized and we have a California king, so it covers just the top with no overlap. I've got the sashing done, and now I just have to add borders until it seems big enough. I wanted to take a picture yesterday, when I had help to hold it up, but I didn't get around to it. I should hang it up on the laundry line.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Yesterday was Moira's birthday, Sunday is both Mother's Day and my Birthday and on Saturday we are having a party to watch Moira destroy a cupcake with, at last count, 16 guests with the possible addition of my neighbors. So today, I wanted to share a party picture.
Unfortunately, that's harder to find in my old pictures then I had hoped, but I found this one, where everyone is dressed up. This is Lance, AP, Elizabeth & Mabel Holly, and the only thing I know is that they are in Purdue. I love the little dress Lance is wearing, but Elizabeth's hat is better.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

When we woke up this morning, I congratulated Walker on us having kept her alive for a year. not that that part has been very hard.
She hasn't been feeling very good for the last two days, to the point where she threw up at Trader Joe's, making the cashier very uncomfortable. I think it's the two teeth working their way out of her top gums and not Swine flu, but I didn't think he'd believe me if I tried to explain that.

When I look back at the pictures of her in her first month, I'm mostly relieved. But then again, I've also started looking at other people's brand new babies with nostalgia and yearning. It was so easy back when we could just put her down and she'd stay there. But not nearly as fun.
Her actual birthday party is on Saturday, and we are saving the cake experience for then. I am making a dinner tonight that she can actually eat all of, and that she likes. If we have time, Walker will turn her car seat around, which I think is what she wants more then anything.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Moira was sneaking down the hall after me and giggling hysterically the whole way. I tried to tell her that wasn't a good way to sneak, and then I stopped myself because at least she wasn't crying hysterically. Again.

I have two entries in my 100 species challenge that I blatantly mislabeled, but I'm waiting to have enough pictures of plants I really want to identify to make edits. This may take awhile.

I am participating in Craft Hope's new project, making dolls for an orphanage in Nicaragua. I decided to make boy dolls, since I will have plenty of opportunities for girly crafting. My first doll has a little head and big body, but I love him anyway.

I have finally been to the downtown library. I hate the elevators.

Moira seems to have two teeth on the top trying to work their way out right now. Poor cranky baby.

My baby turns a year old in two days. I started thinking, "time moves so fast..." earlier today, and then I suddenly realized that, no, this has been the longest year of my life. Time can begin moving too fast now please.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Alice Matlack (ne Holly) on Prancing Pony at the Ramona Turkey Day festival in 1937.
The women in Walker's family are all a little horse mad. It started when they moved to Ramona, California and suddenly everyone on the Ranch had a horse to ride.

This is Walker's mother, Liz Matlack on Dusty in Cass City, Michigan, 1961.
It continues to this day. His aunt Pick has horses and when Liz comes to visit they go riding. They even went riding in Scotland this summer.

Walker's brother, Charlie Hughes in 1982.
It did not continue into this generation so well. I doubt Charlie would cry if put on a horse today, but neither Walker nor his brothers are really that into horses.